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Study: Pop songs have become sadder

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Thu, 17 May 2018, 6:25PM
Singers like Adele have contributed to the sad-ifying of pop music. (Photo / NZ Herald)
Singers like Adele have contributed to the sad-ifying of pop music. (Photo / NZ Herald)

Study: Pop songs have become sadder

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Thu, 17 May 2018, 6:25PM

Pop songs are getting sadder.

That's according to researchers at the University of California at Irvine, who have published their study in the Royal Society Open Science journal.

They've analysed half a million songs released in the UK between 1985 and 2015.

A clear downward trend in ‘happiness’ and ‘brightness’ has been identified, as well as a slight upward trend in ‘sadness’.

They have also discovered that songs are becoming less male, with more female singers topping the charts. 

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